The past year left recruiters in dire straits. The rippling effects of the pandemic pushed the industry to and beyond their limits, forcing the recruiters to reckon their collective level of pandemic preparedness.

Some companies succumbed to the pressure of the unprecedented changes and let go of the control. In contrast, some hit the nail on the head by transforming the challenge into an opportunity. They adapted to meet their organization’s hiring needs and adopted virtual recruiting technologies. 
And this virtual recruiting is here to stay but in a hybrid model! Astoundingly, 81% of talent professionals agree that virtual recruitment will continue post-Covid, and 70% anticipate that virtual recruiting will become the new standard.

With these notions in mind, hiring teams are now rethinking their talent sourcing strategies. Call it hybrid recruitment, blended recruitment or omnichannel recruitment — no matter what term you use to describe it, it is the perfect blend of virtual and in-person recruitment. 

Hybrid recruiting was born of necessity, but now is a must

The aftermath of Covid-19 has prompted hiring managers to jump on board with the new recruitment trend. Talent acquisition teams can now enjoy the best of both worlds, all thanks to virtual and hybrid recruitment. The combined approach has broken down barriers to diversity and a broad talent pool to locate, engage and hire top talent.

Moreover, firms can be more flexible in their recruiting approach while remaining prepared in the face of changing circumstances.

Here are a few other reasons why virtual and hybrid recruitment is the wave of the future.

Better reach means better talent

Virtual and hybrid recruitment opens up the doors for anyone and everyone to attend. It ensures that you have the freedom to choose from the best applicants in the most strategic and time-efficient manner.

The only way to move forward is to democratize the hiring process. Hosting virtual and hybrid recruitment allows businesses to cherry-pick the finest talent from a larger pool of candidates, rather than establishing a pipeline of candidates from just a few of the best campuses.

Related: A Healthy Approach to Hiring That Actually Works

Cost-effectiveness

Whether you are visiting campus or conducting an off-campus hiring drive, the whole process from planning to organizing is no duck soup. The expense of traveling, calling up people, conducting interviews (in short, the full-cycle of offline recruitment) can break the bank. 

On the contrary, companies can easily penny-pinch if they go for a hybrid model of recruitment. Along with offline hiring, they can shift their focus onto virtual mode. The best thing about such a flexible approach is that it is more cost-effective than purely focusing on offline hiring. Furthermore, it makes it easier for recruiters to manage their days, as they can quickly bounce in and out of the event.

Related: What to Consider When Hiring Employees

Say no to unconscious/conscious bias

It is very natural for humans to judge based on specific parameters when we meet them, whether consciously or unconsciously. Offline interviews are no different. For instance, we tend to form a perception based on a person’s outfit and body language as soon as we see them.

Unconscious bias creeps in during offline hiring. However, recruiters are less distracted during virtual interviews and focus more on what they have to say. This offers an equal platform for every person alike. We should make sure that all talented people have an equal chance to compete for any opportunity.

Cultural fit is the key driver of retention rate

When using a blend of offline and virtual recruitment, companies tend to invest more time with their candidates, thus narrowing down to the perfect fit. A combined approach is a sure-fire strategy to comprehensively assess a candidate in a faster, objective, time-efficient and cost-effective manner. As a result, employee retention increases and a positive work environment is created.

Using digital recruiting tools for virtual hiring, online interviews and gamified personality assessments can assist companies in reducing hiring costs, speeding up the hiring time and widening the talent pool. Digitization can be adopted in any step of the recruitment process. And when coupled with offline activities, organizations can easily bring their A-game forward.

Related: Top 10 Hiring Platforms for Small Business